James Sutherland has announced he is standing down as Cricket Australia’s CEO, revealing he will leave the organisation in 12 months’ time.
In a hastily called press conference on Wednesday morning, Sutherland said the time is right for someone new to lead Cricket Australia forward.
Sutherland’s decision will end his 17-year reign leading Australian cricket, a period which has seen a number of successes, including the establishment of the Big Bash, an increase in wages for female cricketers, and a new billion-dollar broadcast deal which will start this summer.
Australia’s men’s and women’s national teams have also enjoyed plenty of on-field victories during Sutherland’s tenure.
However, Sutherland’s legacy has been tarnished somewhat by a couple of events in the past 12 months, notably the pay dispute between CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association which saw the game’s professional players go on strike last year, and the ball-tampering scandal during the men’s Test tour of South Africa earlier in 2018.
Now, with the new broadcast deal signed and ball tampering saga over, Sutherland said the time is right for him to vacate his role.
“After nearly 20 years at Cricket Australia, the time is right. I feel very comfortable that this is the right time for me and a good time for the game,” Sutherland said.
“In the last 12 months we have laid key foundation stones which have included a new strategy for Australian cricket, a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Cricketers’ Association that provides certainty for our male and female cricketers, and just recently, a new domestic broadcast rights deals that will see broader TV coverage and significant increases in revenue flowing into the game.
“With these foundations in place, I feel that it is a good time to hand over the reins to a new CEO. My successor will have a strong and stable platform from which to lead our national strategy and to deliver on our bold aspirations to grow cricket as Australia’s favourite sport and a sport for all Australians.”
Sutherland’s decision to give 12 months’ notice before leaving his position will give Cricket Australia plenty of time to find a successor. CA’s board has appointed an external agency – Egon Zehnder – to conduct the search for a replacement.
While Sutherland is headed for the exit, current chairman David Peever will stay in his current for one more three-year term.
AREH
Roar Guru
Yeah fair, I suppose I am just impatient because I wanted the bloke gone well even before this
Savage
Roar Rookie
They are obviously tying up loose ends but in the most graceful manner possible . Lehmann was already not guilty,the minute when Steve Smith said Lehmann knew nothing about Sandpaper in press conference.Although I Agree that if lehmann was revealed as guilty then "cheating Team" label would've been stick to Australian Team and Australian Cricket would've been finished for some extremist Fans. Like you,Nobody outside Australia buys that only 3 people knew about ball tampering or warner has never tampered the ball before.Kudos for saying that here as there is every chance of some sensitive naive guy calling you an idiot for this.Just like everybody knew that De Kock was guilty of abusing warner wife's but there was no proof as he wasn't caught in camera.Surprisingly,Nobody here would ask for proof in this case. CA has basically handed over the scripts and it's time for Australian players to perform. Now Rest of the players will tell us their cr@p story in a given time and it would basically go along the line "I was so shocked after knowing my teammates were ball tampering that for a minute my eye suddenly popped out from the socket" as if they want us to believe they knew nothing what was happening in the field or Leadership Group which involves Smith warner etc or whoever decided to buy Sandpaper kept secret from rest of the players or Bowlers can't differentiate between Simple cricket ball and Tampered ball.
Nick
Roar Guru
Yes. A 12 month notice period is not uncommon at that level. Executive board roles require a minimum of 6 months. If they were to get a CEO from another administration, then they'd be needing to give notice too. Executive roles take time.
Big daddy
Guest
Hope it's a contagious thing and Greenberg pulls the pin as well.
JayG
Guest
I think its funny that all the pitchfork wielders who were calling for the players' heads on a platter have disappeared and comments I see on most forums seem to suggest that Australian cricket fans are beginning to concur that the bans were excessive and an over-reaction by CA. I wonder if the clamor will increase when we actually begin losing games - for example the upcoming series against England which even the most ardent fans seem to have already given up on.
Matt Davies
Guest
I think its interesting that both investigators from the Cape Town incident - Iain Roy and James Sutherland are leaving/resigning within weeks of each other while an "independent" review is ongoing at CA. I hope they release the report from the review to the public.
JayG
Guest
Unfortunately, knowing CA, they may have already "found" Kevin Roberts as the next CEO. If that is the case, I almost find myself wishing Sutherland stays on.
JayG
Guest
I keep hoping that after the ICC come up with their new recommendations for ball tampering penalties, CA will sense and relax the sandpapergate penalties which were a crazy over-reaction to a hysterical media response and opportunistic politicians
Matt Davies
Guest
What I find interesting is that Iain Roy and James Sutherland - the main investigators of the Sandpapergate are leaving within weeks of each other while an independent review is under progress at CA.
JayG
Guest
Lol. Apparently they were saying Queensland..
Rellum
Roar Guru
The TV deal was bigger and the game is more corporate so in same places his reign would have been a massive success based on those two things alone. The game itself has gone backwards to me based on all the things you listed and many more.
Peter
Roar Rookie
Probably got a gig lined up on the Board of Directors of Fox.
Peter
Roar Rookie
What have they said about the Origin result?
Savage
Roar Rookie
Matthew Pearce, I don't know which part of my post you didn't like. In a Nutshell,I was in agreement with opinion that "we got the best possible version of what went on with the ball tampering saga." Two main point from my post was-: 1 Australia have done ball tampering before. 2 Warner,Smith and Bancroft weren't the only one who knew about this. If you think that warner hasn't tampered the ball before.Although I can understand your point of view but we can agree to disagree on this. You can say that my opinions are misinformed.But If the informed opinions are "only three people knew about the ball tampering" or "this was their first time" then I would rather believe in my "uninformed" opinions.At one point,Informed opinions were also that Sticky paper was used instead of Sandpaper. Just to clarify,I'm not saying Australian cricket Team are ch...... If anything I was in agreement with you about the punishment that Warner,smith and bancroft recieved were harsh and disproportionate.
Savage
Roar Rookie
How brave qwetzen.I hope you can sleep well now.
Any positives?
Guest
Just trying to think of any positives that came from JS's reign. You could say BBL, but you could argue it would have been a stronger comp if they just kept the traditional state sides. Now it is diluted, padded out with club players and the traditional state comp has been run into practical irrelevance. We have lost a lot of what we could watch for free to Murdoch's pay tv. Not even sure if that was legal due to the anti siphoning laws being by passed without any scrutiny due to a compliant government desperate for their handler's approval. Word is on the street less people are playing the sport. All the changes and money has gone to the executive and pro players. Who playing club cricket have any link to CA? Ian Chappell put it best, "he should have gone years ago."
Matt P
Roar Rookie
LOL @ The Sun. "This is not the first time I’ve been asked to bring facts or proofs here." How outrageous. Wanting factual discussion. Absolutely mind-blowing. "You need to understand that opinions can be formed without any proof or facts especially when we are discussing about cricket." Yes. We call those "uninformed," and they're generally not given much credence. I never stated what I believed. I merely asked you for proof about prior ball-tampering. You responded with "evidence" that doesn't actually state or prove anything.
Savage
Roar Rookie
As always my comment is awaiting moderation
Savage
Roar Rookie
Boof has drawn the line in Sandpaper.
George
Guest
Come on, Boof knows where the line is! You know the same line which Paine just mentioned again as one Australia does not cross. Oh wait...